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A few years ago, when I attended a MOPS meeting I heard a wonderful woman named Joy talk about freezer cooking. Before that day, I didn’t know much about freezer cooking. Hearing here talk about all of the tips and tricks, I was shocked to learn how many different foods could be frozen.

After that day, I just knew this was something I could not keep to myself. I emailed Joy right away and asked if she would do a guest post. The tips below are what she gave me.

Freezer Cooking: Tips & Tricks

Freezer cooking…

WAIT! Don’t stop reading just yet! Did that term scare you off?

I have talked to so many people that hear the words “freezer cooking” and they believe it means you have to cook 30 meals in one day.

But I have a secret for you… they are wrong! The key to freezer cooking is thinking of your freezer differently. It’s not just a place for ice cream, frozen pizzas, and ice cubes. Your freezer is a tool! It’s a tool for saving money, time, and saving food–so why not use it?

Saving Money With Freezer Cooking

• Buy fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season and on sale. Use some right away and freeze the rest for later!

• Check the manager’s special meat section or look for meat with markdown stickers. Freeze the meat before the expiration date, then thaw when you are ready to use it.

• Buy dairy products on sale. Sticks of butter and shredded cheese freeze great!

• Buy foods in bulk, but keep in mind not everything you buy in bulk is cheaper.
  • For example, I bought a 25 lb. bag of flour at Sam’s. It was $.27 per pound compared to $.46 per pound for a 5 lb. bag at the local grocery store. I filled my flour container and I bagged up the rest in Ziploc bags and put it in the freezer.
  • Another example: Together with my mother and sister, I bought 80 lbs of ground beef at Sam’s Club which we split three ways.

• Prep meats when you buy them and stick them in marinades for later grilling or slow cooker meals.

• When my mom, sister, and I bought the ground beef, we did several things with it. One of the things we did was brown some of the ground beef and then we froze it in one pound packages. Tacos and sloppy joes are now a 5-minute meal later on. You can find the whole story here.

• It takes a little extra time to double your favorite soup recipe and freeze the extra batch.

Saving Food With Freezer Cooking

• A 9 x 13 size pan of food is too much for my family. We don’t want to waste it. So, I either make it in two 8 x8 pans and freeze one OR we freeze the leftovers.

• Only need half an onion, pepper, or tomato for a recipe? Chop up the other half, freeze it, and then use later in recipes. Be sure to double-bag the onions. (WARNING: After freezing, these veggies are best used in recipes, not raw.)

• Trying to figure out what to do with the rest of that bag of potatoes? Make up a batch of mashed potatoes and freeze. Here is a good recipe for freezer mashed potatoes I’ve tried.

So, now that you are armed with new ideas, are you ready to use that tool that has been sitting in your kitchen, waiting for its big moment? It’s time to use your freezer to its fullest potential and start saving money, time, and food!

If you liked all these tips and tricks and are interested in getting more please go and “like” Joy’s on Facebook Fearless Freezer Cooking!

Joy is a stay-at-home wife and mother to two wonderful children. She is third, maybe even fourth generation freezer cook. Growing up with freezer cooking as a way of life made it hard for her to understand how folks could NOT use their freezers. After being asked again and again for help, she started her Facebook page to give her tips and insight so that others will be Fearless Freezer cooks, too!